WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Last of Us season 1.

I still haven't fully recovered from multiple character deaths in what happened in the celebrated first season, which debuted back in January 2023. Similar to other great HBO series like Game of Thrones and Chernobyl, The Last of Us features some unforgettable death scenes.

The Last of Us season 2, developed for television by Craid Mazin, will see the return of several key characters from season 1, most significantly Pedro Pascal's Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey's Ellie Williams. The Last of Us is one of several recent successful video game adaptations made into critically acclaimed TV series, which also includes Amazon's Fallout and Netflix's The Witcher. The first new episode of The Last of Us season 2 will be released on HBO and Max on Sunday, April 13, 2025.

I'm Still Not Over Sam's Death From The Last Of Us Season 1 Episode 5

Sam's Death In The HBO Series Is More Tragic Than In The Video Game

HBO's production team for The Last of Us found ways to make Sam Burrell's death even more tragic in live-action. Sam, played by Keivonn Woodard, only appeared in two episodes of The Last of Us season 1: episode 4, "Please Hold to My Hand," and episode 5, "Endure and Survive", the latter of which is arguably the best of the season. It's revealed that Sam, who is only 8 years old, gets infected and tries to attack Ellie, forcing his older brother Henry to kill him before he completely turns into a zombie.

Sam's death was made even worse because of Henry's suicide that immediately followed. The scene brought to life one of the most horrific moments in The Last of Us season 1, forcing Henry to make an impossible decision with little time to think or hesitate. Joel and Ellie properly bury their bodies before they continue on their journey.

Sam, who is deaf, positioned himself to look out the window so that he wouldn't be tempted to attack Ellie while she slept – until it was too late.

Even though Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps infection, Sam could still have killed her. To make matters more tragic, Sam, who is deaf, positioned himself to look out the window so that he wouldn't be tempted to attack Ellie while she slept – until it was too late.

The Last Of Us Season 1 Was Full Of Emotional Deaths

Sarah Was The First Tragic Loss & Marlene's Death Was Shocking

The Last of Us is full of emotional and tragic character deaths, which are also incredibly well-crafted. Everyone who saw The Last of Us season 1 re the devastating story of Bill and Frank and the unforgettable death in the pilot episode, Joel's daughter Sarah, which scarred Joel's spirit for life.

There's also the emotional deaths of Riley and Tess as well as the shocking death of Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, who was killed by Joel to protect Ellie. If The Last of Us season 1 provides any indication, there should be more tragic and powerful deaths in the season.